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How to Increase YouTube Engagement [INFOGRAPHIC]

More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month. It is the second most popular search engine and the third most popular site in the world. Nielsen says that it reaches more U.S. adults ages 18-34 than any cable network, a sweet spot for advertisers. Mastering the art of YouTube marketing will help your target audience discover you in an entirely new way.

Many businesses are daunted by the prospect of using the platform because of the perceived complexity. Getting started with filming and production can be perceived as intimidating, and brands often pass on the opportunity because it seems like it’s too much to deal with.

Before jumping to conclusions, check out this infographic from QuickSprout. It some offers some key statistics and these best practices that help increase YouTube engagement:

Fill in the meta data

Meta data is essential to enabling your video to be found in search engines. Make sure to include a detailed description of your video, a good headline, and tags that will draw readers to your content.

Select attractive thumbnails

It has been shown that thumbnails increase YouTube engagement more than 150%. Choose a thumbnail that with grab viewers’ attention, whether it’s simple and beautiful or shocking and intriguing.

Add annotations

“Click here” messages on videos actually work, so it’s important to design calls to action that entice people to visit your website, subscribe to your YouTube channel, and otherwise build a relationship with you.

Be consistent

Post videos at regular intervals and maintain consistent video lengths, production values, and titles. Establishing a pattern and sticking to it will correctly set your audience’s expectations.

Strategically time your posts

It’s important to catch viewers when a particular topic is top of mind, so try to synchronize your video posts with news and events. Examples include rolling out a turkey recipe close to Thanksgiving and offering gift-wrapping tips close to Christmas.

Make your videos the best length for your topic

Shorter YouTube videos are generally better for engagement but some formats, such as instructional and educational videos, require 4 to 5 minutes in order to fully inform viewers about a particular topic.